News

2nd Graders Team Up With Penn High School for Gingerbread Activities

Second graders from Bittersweet Elementary got into the holiday spirit through hands-on gingerbread fun. Classes visited Penn on two different days, where high school students welcomed them into the kitchen and nearby classrooms for a variety of gingerbread-themed activities. Penn students helped guide the 2nd graders as they rolled out dough, used cookie cutters, and prepared the pieces that would later become gingerbread houses. The ...
Jen Smoker

P-H-M Board of School Trustees Appoints Jen Smoker to Fill Penn Township Seat

The Penn-Harris-Madison Board of School Trustees voted unanimously this morning to appoint Mrs. Jennifer (Jen) Smoker to fill the Penn Township Seat #1 vacancy created by the resignation of Matthew Chaffee in early October. A long-time resident and active community volunteer, Mrs. Smoker is a dedicated P-H-M parent of four children attending district schools. Her service and advocacy for students and staff have been felt ...
Bittersweet Named Among U.S. News 2026 “Best Elementary Schools”

Bittersweet Named Among U.S. News 2026 “Best Elementary Schools”

U.S. News and World Report released its “Best Schools” rankings for K-8 public schools by state and Bittersweet is #94 out of Indiana’s 989 public elementary schools! Data is based on the 2021–2022, 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 school years. All of P-H-M’s elementary schools are ranked among Indiana’s “Best Elementary Schools”: Northpoint #1 Prairie Vista #2 Horizon #37 Mary Frank #39 Bittersweet #94 Elm Road #172 ...
Shonda Masterson

Get to Know Principal Shonda Masterson

October is National Principals Month! To celebrate, we’re sharing short Q&As with each of our principals—giving you a glimpse into their leadership style, favorite parts of school life, and what drives their #PHMExcellence every day. If you could swap places with a student for one day, what class or activity would you be most excited to participate in — and why? Anything related to science ...
2025 Community Connections Fair

2025 Community Connections Fair

P-H-M’s ENL Department is hosting their annual Community Connections Fair on Saturday, November 1st. Join us for activities, arts & crafts, food, performances, and to learn about resources in our community. It is completely FREE and all P-H-M families are invited to attend. Click here to see photos on Facebook of past Fairs. For any families that want to sign up to perform, please click ...